I’ve got a nifty old oil painting that was created by a book or magazine illustrator back in the day. Unlike most paintings, this one all black, white and gray.
I know that the standard rule of thumb is to “pick up” (that is, match) a eye-catching color used somewhere in the painting for the color of the frame. Would this rule still apply for my B&W piece, thus limiting my choices to B,W & G? How about silver (or another metalic)? How about another color entirely?
While you’re offering advice, bear in mind the painting’s subject is not stodgy or formal. It’s a circle of men in 1930s-era suits standing in a circle listening to a kid tell a story. Naturally, I want a frame to match the mood and “weight” of the subject.
Thanks all in advance.
I’d go with a vibrant blue or red, perhaps a deep sapphire or ruby
silver or black would be nice but it wouldn’t draw anyone’s attention the way a primary color will
The wife and I are thinking red, not fire engine red more like Radio Flyer wagon red.
In my experience, a good mahogany or cherry (or at least stained to one of those shades) frame or a burgundy colored frame really looks awesome with black and white.
There really isn’t any substitute for looking at it and seeing what looks good. But, I would agree there aren’t any “rules”…like having to stick to B W or G. On the contrary it’s usually only with B&W (photos in my case) that I want to use a coloured matt (oh wait…you said frame…I was thinking about both the matt and the frame…if you’re using a matt…but anyway colour can work very well with a B&W picture).
No rules, but if you can’t find a color in the paiting to use ( or reverse and use), you can go with a color in the room you’ll be putting it in.
I’ve never liked putting coloured frames onto black-and-white artwork, or using a frame to introduce a colour that’s not already in the art. IMO it just distracts the viewer’s eye away from the piece. You want a frame to accent the art, not conflict with it. While there are no rules of course, after being a framer for 6+ years I can say most people stick with black->grey->white for greyscale artwork. I’ve reframed a lot of artwork that someone thought was cool/funky when they had it done, then eventually got sick of looking at it after a year or two and came back for something more modest. To get something framed right costs money, so be sure to ask yourself, am I going to still want to look at this in a few months? My personal tastes are fairly conservative.
Go to a professional shop though, there are a lot of options besides “just a frame”. For instance, you can put a small narrow silver frame inside a larger black moulding to create a really unique look. Or with an oil painting, you can use a black canvas liner inside a silver or white frame. The employees at a good frame shop will be able to put together a lot of different choices for you, and let you go from there. Plus they will know how to handle your old artwork with care and make sure it gets framed properly.
Wood stains can look good, also, but IMO really work best when it matches whatever wood furniture or accents you already have in the room.
I agree with butter pie. You’re trying to show off the piece, not the frame. Bright colors will distract from the artwork. I have a B&W photo of my grandfather on the wall by this computer. The frame is matte black, but there is a silver-gray liner on both sides of the black portion; both colors accentuate the photo without overpowering it.
Take it to your local frame shop, along with a piece of card the same colour as the wall you want to hang the piece against.
Check various frames around the picture and how it would look against the wall you’re going to hang it on.
Pick the one that you thinks look best.
It’s a matter of personal taste, not an absolute right or wrong, so go for what you like. It’s your picture, your wall and you’ll be the one looking at it, so pick to make yourself happy.